Shopify import fix

SKU lost its leading zeros after saving as CSV

Excel decides that 00127 is the number 127. The zeros are not hidden, they are removed before the file is written. Nothing in the CSV can restore them.

How to fix it

  1. Open the source file and select the SKU column.
  2. Format the column as Text before entering or importing any data.
  3. If the data is already damaged, re-export from the source system with SKUs as strings.
  4. Verify by opening the CSV in a text editor: 00127 must appear with its zeros.

How to avoid it next time

Treat every identifier column (SKU, barcode, variant ID) as text from the start. Excel will silently change any column of digits it thinks is numeric.

Check the whole file before you import again

The free Shopify CSV checker names the exact line for each of these problems. The paid Rescue Kit adds 20 more error cases, a template in Shopify's column order, and the checker as a script you can run in a pipeline.

See the Rescue Kit →